Big Church Night Out Concert Report

The Big Church Night Out that took place on Thursday, October 5, 2017, at the Broadmoor World Arena was not a typical Christian concert. The event featured performances from a total of seven artists, including the lively and fun Blanca, rap and hip/hop artist Derek Minor, the energetic rock band 7eventh Time Down, multitalented singer Adam Agee from Audio Adrenaline, the contemporary pop group Sidewalk Prophets, worship leader Jamison Strain, and an incredible finale by the Newsboys. Ultimately, the Big Church Night Out allowed individuals from all walks of life and Christian denominations to gather together for an impactful time of worship with top Christian artists. To begin the evening, Adam Agee set the worshipful theme with an acoustic

This group comprises of five members, lead vocalist David Frey, guitarist Ben McDonald, drummer Justin Nace, bassist Cal Joslin, and guitarist and keyboardist Shaun Tomczak. Their performance began with an a cappella variation of their hit song “The Words I Would Say,” amplifying the crowd’s excitement. Other songs, including “Prodigal,” “I’d Rather Have You,” “Keep Making Me,” “You Love Me Anyway,” “Come to the Table,” and “Live Like That,” were excellently performed with a variety of musical tones and dynamics. For example, while songs like “Prodigal” and “Live Like That” were lively with electronic sounds, the songs “Keep Making Me,” “You Love Me Anyway,” and “Come to the Table” were much softer with simple contemporary band instruments and organic piano and string tones. A keytar was a fun addition to the song “I’d Rather Have You,” further adding the celebration-like sound. Once their performance concluded, worship leader and pianist Jamison Strain took the stage with his drummer and guitarist. By varying musical dynamics and perfecting song transitions, Strain and his team gave a stellar performance of the cover songs “Your Love Awakens Me” and “This is Amazing Grace” by Phil Wickham, the hymns “Blessed Assurance” and “How Great Thou Art,” “The Stand” by Hillsong United, “Forever (He is Risen)” by Kari Jobe, “Do It Again” by Elevation Worship, and “Real

The four members of the Newsboys, lead singer Michael Tait, drummer Duncan Phillips, guitarist Jody Davis, and keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein, began their performance with an introductory drum solo and audience applause and clamor. Their lineup included twelve of their original songs: “Born Again,” “That’s How You Change the World,” “Live with Abandon,” “Your Love Never Fails,” “Love Riot,” “Guilty,” “He Reigns,” “The Cross Has the Final Word,” “We Believe,” “King is Coming,” “Jesus Freak,” and “God’s Not Dead.” The themes of each of these songs flowed well into the next song, portraying a sincere Christian life, from one’s decision to follow Jesus, to worshiping God in every area of one’s life, to evangelizing and telling the world about Jesus. Most of the songs played were forte and vibrant with dominant percussion, guitar, and electronic sounds. A couple of the songs, including “He Reigns,” “The Cross Has the Final Word,” and “We Believe” were piano to mezzo piano with eloquent, fervent lyrics. Additionally, “He Reigns” and “The Cross Has the Final Word” gave special remembrance to the Newsboys legacy, since “He Reigns” was one of the popular songs written by the group with the former lead singer Peter Furler. “The Cross Has the Final Word” was written by Peter Furler and Michael Tait, thus, performing these